WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva will vote to pass H.R. 1808, the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022.

“Weapons made and designed to inflict maximum damage in war have no place in our communities. Our kids shouldn’t have to learn in fear. Young people shouldn’t be afraid to attend concerts. No one should fear for their lives in a public space because these weapons of war are easily available,” said Rep. Grijalva. “Firearms are the number one cause of deaths for children – this is a public health emergency.”

“Since the tragedy at Uvalde, the mass gun violence epidemic has continued to proliferate across the country with individuals using assault weapons legally purchased to kill people at hospitals, parades, and festivals. These tragedies are preventable and we can help stop them by reducing the availability of the high powered, semiautomatic guns that have made mass murders a horrific commonplace in our society.”

“The urgency to reinstate the ban on these weapons is now. With this vote I am standing to support the safety of my constituents; I am standing to honor all the loved ones impacted by mass gun violence; I am standing with every parent that fears sending their child to school; and I’m standing unafraid of a gun lobby that chooses to push lies and profits over American lives. Now each Senator must choose where they will stand.”

Researchers estimate that if we still had a federal Assault Weapons Ban, we would see 70 percent fewer mass shooting deaths. In 6 out of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in recent American history (Orlando, Sutherland Springs, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso, Uvalde), the gunmen were able to legally purchase the assault weapons from a licensed dealer – in some cases weeks—before the shooting.

Eight of the ten deadliest mass shootings in recent American history have involved an assault weapon that would have been banned for purchase under the previous assault weapons ban, which expired in 2004, including mass shootings.

The Assault Weapons Ban (H.R. 1808) would make it unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, or transfer the following:

• All semi-automatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of the following military features: (1) pistol grip; (2) forward grip; (3) folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (4) grenade launcher; (5) barrel shroud; or (6) threaded barrel.
• All semi-automatic rifles that have a fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 10 rounds.
• Bump fire stocks and any part, combination of parts, component, device, attachment, or accessory that is designed or functions to accelerate the rate of fire of a semiautomatic rifle but not convert the semiautomatic rifle into a machinegun.
• All semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine and have at least one of the following military features: (1) threaded barrel; (2) second pistol grip; (3) barrel shroud; (4) capacity to accept a detachable magazine at some location outside of the pistol grip; or (5) semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm.
• All semi-automatic shotguns that have at least one of the following (1) a folding, telescoping, or detachable stock; (2) pistol grip; (3) fixed magazine with the capacity to accept more than 5 rounds; (4) ability to accept a detachable magazine; (5) forward grip; (6) grenade launcher; or (7) shotgun with a revolving cylinder.
• High capacity feeding devices (magazines, strips, and drums) capable of accepting more than 10 rounds.

H.R. 1808 does not overly restrict the possession or transfer of assault weapons by law-abiding gun owners. It:

• Does not ban all assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
• Does not prohibit, penalize, or criminalize gun owners who are in lawful possession of an assault weapon or high-capacity magazine before enactment of the bill.
• Does not require gun owners in lawful possession of an assault weapon or high-capacity magazine to surrender it upon enactment of the bill.
• Does not require any state, city, or law enforcement agency to conduct buy-backs.
• Does not prohibit gun owners currently in lawful possession of an assault weapon from selling or transferring the assault weapon after enactment.
• Does not restrict law enforcement or other government agencies from continuing to possess assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
• Specifies that its restrictions do not apply to antique firearms, manually-operated firearms, and more than 2,000 specified models of hunting and sporting firearms.  

 A fact sheet can be found here.